We invite researchers in various fields related to sexual health, HIV and other sexually transmitted viruses to apply for research funds.

Sexually Transmitted Infections Research Foundation (STIRF) was set up to pump prime research projects relating to the epidemiology, pathophysiology, management, and health care delivery of sexually transmitted infections and HIV in the West Midlands, Trent, Yorkshire, Northern and North West regions.

The primary aim is to provide initial funding to allow promising projects from researchers early in their career to obtain preliminary results as a prelude to acquire further funds from larger funding bodies.

We invite applications from researchers in the above regions on projects relating to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. All projects will be initially screened by the Scientific Committee of STIRF and those considered suitable will be sent for peer review by experts in the field.

The following fields of research will be considered in relation to STIs and HIV

Epidemiology of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases

Research on HPV and other sexually transmissible malignancies

Health care delivery including views of clients

Issues relating to deprived or marginalised communities.

Pathophysiology of diseases and syndromes

Inter-relationship between diseases

Treatment modalities

Complications of treatment and co-morbidities

Applications should not exceed £50,000 in the first year. Depending on satisfactory reports a further £25,000 may be available for the second year. Joint funding with other grant giving bodies will be considered.

Cuts to sexual health services in parts of England are placing the care of patients at risk, a new report has warned according to a report published in the BMJ.

The research by the healthcare think tank the King’s Fund concluded that budget cuts of more than 20% to genitourinary medicine (GUM) services in some parts of the country had led to service closures and staffing cuts that have harmed patient care. Experts said that the findings were particularly worrying given that numbers of diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and gonorrhoea were rising.

Current pressures on services were also having a negative effect on staff morale and leading some staff to consider alternative careers, the report warned.

The researchers analysed data and interviewed frontline staff to examine the effect of funding pressure on patient care across four service areas: GUM, district nursing, elective hip replacements, and neonatal care.

Their findings indicated that sexual health and district nursing had been hardest hit which undermined the vision set out in NHS England’s Five Year Forward View to strengthen prevention and community based services.

The authors said that sexual health services such as GUM had become more prone to budgetary cuts since moving from the NHS to local government, because of local authorities’ legal obligation to balance their books.

2017 marks the Centenary of a nationwide network of clinics for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (venereal diseases as they were called) in England and Wales, a free and totally confidential service. Absolute confidentiality was enshrined in law and remains the hallmark of sexual health clinics today.

The journal Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) celebrates this special year –together with the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) – of which STI is an official journal – with a range of specially commissioned content. They begin a series of historical vignettes reflecting the history of the journal and the profession, written by eminent physicians and scientists who reflect on a hundred years of progress. They will also be recording podcasts and look forward to joining BASHH at a London celebration in the summer. Make sure to keep an eye on the website and follow us on Twitter.

STI began in 1925 as the British Journal of Venereal Disease, and you can read early editions on the sti.bmj.com website. The very first issue covers skin complaints often mistaken for syphilis, the use of bismuth and malaria inoculation to treat syphilis, and the establishment of a network of clinics following a Royal Commission.1 It also discusses diathermy in the treatment of gonorrhoea!

A hundred years ago, we had no effective treatment for gonorrhoea, and it is sobering to realise we may soon be in the same position. The GRASP surveillance system which tracks antimicrobial resistance in England and Wales shows indications that we are not far from ceftriaxone treatment failures in a report by Town et al.2 In an age of nucleic acid based diagnostics, we need alternatives to culture for detecting resistance. A fascinating report by Graham et al reports that whole genome sequencing can be achieved with urine specimens, including the detection of markers associated with resistance.3 On a related note, this month’s editorial by Nigel Garrett reflects on the perhaps brief life of syndromic management.4Read full article

This year we have had six applications for grants from Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, and Sheffield. These have been sent out to external scientific referees. The successful applicant will be informed in late September 2011.

I am cycling from Birmingham to London this weekend August 12 to raise funds for STIRF and its research. Any help is more than welcome. You can pay either by PayPal on the site or a cheque made out to STIRF and sent to: